NDLEA tasks celebrities on fight against drug abuse

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State Command, has appealed to celebrities and influencers to use their various platforms to educate the public, especially the youths, on the dangers of drug abuse.

The agency made the appeal at a conference/workshop held in Lagos last Friday, July 15, 2022, in commemoration of the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking 2022 with the theme: “Addressing Drug Challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crisis.”

The NDLEA, in conjunction with HealthGarde, harped on drug abuse challenges and how celebrities could help through sensitisation and enlightenment of the public.

Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), represented by the Zonal Commander, H Command, Assistant Commander-General, Narcotics, Mr. Segun Oke, stressed the importance of drug-free awareness and how crucial it is to educate the public on the dangers of drug abuse.

He said: “One of the strategies of the new management of NDLEA is the use of War Against Drug Abuse to widen public awareness on drug abuse.”

Oke, therefore, appealed to influencers to be mindful of the content they show to the public because there is no doubt that the entertainment industry are influencing the public.

Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Gbenga Stephen, who represented Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, said the challenges of drug abuse in the society could not be over-emphasised.

He, therefore, urged the entertainment industry and church leaders to join the NDLEA in sensitising the public on drug abuse and its adverse consequences.

Similarly, the National Co-ordinator, NDLEA Celebrity Drug Free Club, an advocacy non-governmental and non-partisan organisation, Mr. Wilson Igodalo, lamented that Nigeria still remains key transit in drug trafficking and cannabis remains the most abused drug in the country, saying that a lot needs to be done to curb the menace

Also, Comedian Gbenga Adeyinka, who pointed out that the entertainment industry has a lot to do in terms of advocacy, especially among the youths, said: “NDLEA should arrest, prosecute and jail celebrities that abuse drugs, especially on social media because those are the areas where bad behaviours are pushed forward.”

Deputy Commander, Drug Demand Reduction, NDLEA State Command, Eziaghighala Chinyerem, said: “Drug Abuse and illicit trafficking is a global menace that can be classified as a pandemic, especially in Nigeria. The effect cuts across all sectors and classes of people in the society. It affects the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the educated and the illiterate.”

The CEO HealthGarde, Nneka Nwarueze, also spoke on the importance of maintaining the best quality of life using natural dietary supplements.

She highlighted the importance of quality drug usage and advised the public to start caring about their general well-being by using drugs made with 100 per cent natural products.